bp 
The environmental effects from the 2010 BP oil spill are going 
to continue to be felt for years to come. BP officials are 
responsible for gross negligence and willfully 
criminal misconduct (in many colorful contexts: from 
but where there should be heavy fines and life 
sentences levied, the corporation has thus far always 
gotten a legal slap on the wrist.

This, that there are two forms of “justice” in the US, 
depending on your net worth, has been continually 
reaffirmed in so many examples that I know wouldn’t 
where to start or end in listing them. Individuals receive 
longer prison sentences for possessing any of several 
natural plants, than men or corporations whose negligence 
has cost human, animal, and vegitative life. 
Endangering our collective survival is more legally 
tolerated than waving a pen at the police (which can get 

The disaster and resulting oil spill devastated marine 
and coastal environments, and is debatably the worst
environmental disaster ever seen in the US (with Fukushima 
this disaster were essentially non-existent, and their choice 
to use Corexit (a highly toxic “dispersant” which makes 
the oil less visible from above) was allowed despite 
use it. Not only did they use the highly toxic, 
environmentally damaging Corexit, they used about 
2 million gallons of it on top of the roughly 5 million 
barrels of oil released into the Gulf of Mexico.
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Former Halliburton manager, Anthony Badalmenti, 
was sentenced Tuesday to one year probation (That's All?)
for having been found guilty of destroying evidence 

Two BP employees had been indicted several 
years ago on manslaughter charges for their 
involvement in the disaster that left 11 workers dead. 
Along with other fines and charges laid, BP paid a US 
settlement worth $4.5 billion, which included $1.3 in 
criminal fines.

Badalamenti, along with his one year sentence, 
will be required to complete 100 hours of community 
service, and to pay a fine of $1000. Badalamenti was 
the cementing technology director for Halliburton Energy 
Services Inc., he was positioned as the cement 
contractor on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. 
Prosecutors presented evidence that Badalamenti 
instructed two Halliburton employees to intentionally 
destroy data during a post-spill review of the cement 
job on BP’s blown-out Macondo well.

The judge said that the sentence of probation 
was very reasonable, and was clearly reassured 
that Badalamenti was already a rehabilitated man,
"I still feel that you are a very honorable man...
I have no doubt that you've learned from this mistake."
– the judge stated. (Oh No He Didn't)

Another engineer working for BP was also previously 
found by a federal jury in New Orleans guilty for 
having destroyed evidence about the Deepwater
 Horizon oil spill. Kurt Mix was found to have deleted 
from his supervisor and a contractor, in an effort to 
hide evidence that the company knew more oil was 
leaking than it had publicly revealed. Mix was 
found on one count of obstruction of justice, and
 acquitted on a second count involving a contractor,
 his final sentencing is scheduled for March 26.

A single year of probation and a $1000 fine is less 
punishment for helping conceal far-reaching crimes 
(which affect many species and generations) 
than the average cocaine user faces simply for 
possession. Some may celebrate that he was found 
guilty at all, but the precedent being set by such 
a light punishment is the opposite of what many 
feel we need: shouldn’t ecocide (and concealing the